Fast and Female is branching out to run the first-ever road cycling event on May 20th. In exactly one month, girls ages 9-19 who are interested in road racing and cycling in general will join Fast and Female ambassadors for a morning of inspiration, fun and activity on two wheels.

Piggy-backed with the Gatineau Grand Prix, the Fast and Female Road Cycling event will run from 9:00 am to noon and will include a group ride, inspirational talks with ambassadors, dancing and stretching, and finish off with autograph signing. Activities will kick off at the Centre La Génération at 35 Rue Davies in Gatineau.

Ambassadors for this event include National Cycling Team’s Denise Ramsden, Leah Kirchmann, Joëlle Numainville, and Leah Guloien. “We hope that this event will help young girls to see how much fun riding a bike can be and inspire them to stay in sport,” said Ramsden. “This event is a great opportunity for us to give back to a sport that has given us so much.”

The Gatineau Grand Prix is in its third year as a UCI event. Started as a replacement for cancelled races, the race has grown in participation every year and spawned many other events surrounding the races.

For this Olympic year, the GP Cycliste Gatineau Hydro-Québec and the ChronoGatineau - the only two races sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale in Canada - will take place on May 18th to 21st and provide one of the last chances to earn points to qualify for the Games. Thus, these two races will be critically important to the world of women’s cycling. Which is why we made the route longer and tougher, in an effort to make it closer to the one in London. More information on the event is available at www.grandprixcyclistegatineau.com.

Kirchmann of Winnipeg, came in fourth in last year’s Grand Prix and is hoping to inspire the girls to pursue their own dreams. “I had a lot of opportunities growing up so I want to try and give other girls the chances I had to lead an active lifestyle and be involved in sport.”

Guloien of Port Moody, BC, comes from a running and rowing background and hopes to share her love of sport with others. “Sport has always been a positive and healthy influence, helping me keep a balance with school and other activities.”

Young female cyclists of all abilities are invited to attend the event with their own road or mountain bikes.

“The Canadian Cycling Association is happy to be supporting this activity which encourages physical activity and healthy habits amongst female youth,” said Mathieu Boucher, Director, Development for Canada’s governing body in cycling. “We are aware that in addition to offering outstanding performances, our Canadian athletes are a great source of inspiration and motivation for girls,” he added.

This event will cost $20 and will include a snack, a technical Fast and Female t-shirt by Karbon ($40 value) and a Fast and Female Buff (multifunctional headwear valued at $23). Participants can learn more by visiting www.FastandFemale.com and sign up at ffmay20gatineau.eventbrite.com. Online registration will close on May 19th at noon. On-site registration will be possible at a fee of $25.

About Fast and FemaleFast and Female is a not-for-profit society started in 2005 by Chandra Crawford, the 2006 Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing. The organization’s mission is to support, motivate, inspire, and empower girls to stick to sports and the healthy lifestyle. Fast and Female fulfills its mission of "Empowerment Through Sport" by hosting fun-filled, non-competitive initiatives all across North-America aimed at exposing young female athletes to inspiring female Olympians and elite level athletes. The young girls who attend Fast and Female events today will lead it in the future, may it be as athletes, coaches, volunteers, parents, and community leaders. For more information about Fast and Female, visit www.FastandFemale.com.

In 2011 Fast and Female held a event for young aspiring female mountain bikers on the Sunday following the XC nationals in Canmore. Canada's top MTB riders: Catharine Pendrel, Emily Batty, Catherine Vipond, Mical Dyck and more spend the day with a large group of very enthusiastic girls.